Successful people are optimistic. They’re not idiots—they see the challenges, but they don’t lose their confidence. Psychologist and consultant Jill Ammon-Wexler spells out some of the characteristics of “intelligent optimists” that you can learn:

Don’t deny problems.

You can’t pretend difficulties don’t exist, but you can live with them while looking for ways to change things.

Accept reality.

Though solving problems is vital, recognize what you can’t change. Don’t get too wrapped up in trying to fix things you can’t influence.

Don’t bury negative thoughts.

Everyone has them—“This will never work,” or “Am I wasting my time?” Instead of trying to ignore them, accept them as internal messages but remind yourself that you can overcome them.

Look for solutions.

Remember that many problems begin as an attempt at solving a different problem. Searching the background can provide clues to resolving the current difficulty.